


Papyrus vs Undyne: The Great Papyrus

by ImpulseFunWritinAnon



Series: Undertale: Short Battle Stories [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Battle, Brotherly Love, Gen, I can't believe my little brother is this nice, Papyrus Being Papyrus, Papyrus can stop time, Papyrus is a cool dude, Papyrus unleashes his true potential, Papyrus vs Undyne, Sans really cares about his brother, The Great Papyrus, Undyne is a badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-30 15:51:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6430756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpulseFunWritinAnon/pseuds/ImpulseFunWritinAnon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Undyne, with his older brother's approval, prepares Papyrus for the day that he encounters a human.</p><p>If kindness could kill, Papyrus would be the greatest warrior of all time.</p><p>Note: Reading "Undyne vs Sans: Sans' Job" beforehand is highly recommended, as well as "Papyrus vs Sans: A Brotherly Battle".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hope and Compassion

**Author's Note:**

> Papyrus is the best of the skeleton brothers.

It was the coming of morn. The crisp, air swept the snow from side to side, leaving perfect knolls all over the wintry landscape. The people that reside in this locality of the Underground slept soundly in their households, the warmth of their beds keeping them from getting up. There was but two mysterious natives - or rather, visitors, their original whereabouts forever an enigma - who stood out amongst the rest. One of them was a scrawny, energetic skeleton, with a verve unsurpassed by all. Papyrus the skeleton was up at the crack of dawn, hard at work in his favorite past-time. He laid out plans for puzzles to the west of town, building intricate mounts of snow, as he tested them out for their difficulty levels. If one was not to his liking, he persevered and re-did them again and again, with no intent to quit. He often spoke to himself when elaborating his next steps in his projects. Every now and then, he returned home to study on puzzle-building, whenever he hit a rock wall in his progress. With every try, he expanded on his multiple developments scattered throughout the area.

 

The Canine Unit of the Royal Guard, which guarded the general populace of Snowdin, didn't seem to mind. In fact, they found the skeleton's hard work a sight to behold. They admired, yet were amazed, at the extend of the lively skeleton's endeavors. However, as impressive as he was, they couldn't find it in them to make acquaintances with him. He was callow, weird - wearing an outfit from a costume party spoke for itself - and obnoxiously loud for many. It was still a poor excuse for not liking somebody different than the rest. As much as it internally bothered the skeleton that he was not generally accepted, he pushed forward, hoping to one day become a Royal Guard. In his mind, the prestigious title would finally earn him friends, and a new-found popularity from respect.

 

Papyrus' first step was to get Undyne, the Head of the Royal Guard, to acknowledge his reliance, trust, and fortitude. One day, he went to Undyne's house in Waterfall, begging to become a Royal Guard. After slamming the door on him, Papyrus stood by patiently waiting on her doorstep for her approval. He stayed locked in place all through the night. Once Undyne woke up and saw him waiting outside for her, even after the brute rejection, she was astounded, absolutely fond of his devotion and resolution. After a brief test of his skills shortly after their first meeting, her suspicions after his first impression were all too realized. Undyne could not admit him to be a full-pledged guard. Papyrus was far too virtuous for battle. His innocence rendered him, in Undyne's eyes, unable to defend the people of the Underground under any circumstance. However, Undyne was too enticed by his tenacity. Instead, she decided to give him cooking lessons, coining them as 'special warrior training'. It didn't take long for the scaled, intimidating leader to warm up to the proud, vivacious skeleton, developing a genuine friendship with him. Papyrus looked up to Undyne for guidance, with a variety of fun times that came with the unconventional lessons she taught him. It was the perfect opportunity to relieve him of his loneliness, and made his days all the more fulfilling.

 

As if one skeleton wasn't already enough, there was an older brother, who was completely unlike the persistent, animated brother. He was roused from his slumber by the loud knocking on his door, as his polar opposite did every morning, to remind him of his sentry duty job. If Papyrus didn't do this, he knew that the older brother wouldn't get up for another hour or two. Half-asleep as usual, he put on his slippers, put on the same blue hoodie as always, and took a shortcut to the sentry station near the Ruins. As soon as he arrived, he closed his eyes, putting his arms on the counter and fell asleep.

 

Sans the skeleton was short in stature, with an easygoing, passive demeanor, accompanied by his well-known witty humor and immature prankster habits. He was easy to talk to, cracked a few bad jokes in almost every conversation, and was surprisingly clever and knowledgeable. It was without a shadow of a doubt that the monsters of the Underground preferred him over the other brother; it was easy to see who was under the others' shadow, sadly enough for Papyrus, who seeks to be popular. However, with the personality traits that Sans possessed came the negative that irritated Papyrus to not end; he was a sloth. A sloppy one, at that. Sans would rarely ever take care of his belongings at their house. Papyrus usually did the chores, although he couldn't be bothered with Sans' messy room, which even had a trash tornado.

 

Per usual, the least Papyrus could do that actually made a difference for his lazy brother was to wake him up, then head out of Snowdin to work on his puzzles. Papyrus always preferred being up early to get as much time for work as possible. Meanwhile, Sans took his time, since he didn't have to walk to his station. His ability to take shortcuts complimented his slack, and also was his biggest convenience to his job. Every hour or so, Sans teleported to the other sentry stations he manned throughout the Underground. Once it got to be around his break time, he teleported near the Ruins to see how Papyrus was holding up, then headed back home to take a brief nap. Soon, it would be lunch time and he'd head to Grillby's.

 

It was another day.

 

\--

 

Undyne's shoes plodded on the deep, frozen tundra, her footsteps leaving a trail on the ivory, cloudless snow. The mystical grotto's sodden weather drifted as she continued onwards to Papyrus' house in the chilly, homely little town of Snowdin. She yearned for the fresh mist on her gills already. Undyne would have to settle for the snowflakes melting on her scales, causing shivers to crawl down her spine from every drop. How the Underground managed to gather snowfall was unknown to the locals, but couldn't be bothered to find out why. All they yearned for was life on the surface, and at the same time, living their lives as comfortably as they could in their charming community, waiting for that fateful day. The day they are set free from their confinement from the outside world.

 

As Undyne made it to her destination, she took a deep breath, trying to plan out how to tell Sans about her concern for Papyrus. However the delivery of the subject went, Papyrus' safety was of the utmost importance, and no amount of sugar-coating was going to get the meeting anywhere. With that, Undyne rapped at the door, exhaling her held breath. The door opened. For once, she was relieved to see Papyrus' older brother.

 

"Sans, I need to talk to you for a moment. It's important." Undyne said solemnly, keeping herself succinct, as she stood on the house's snow-covered doorstep.

 

"interesting." _It's about my brother, is it not,_ Sans inquired to himself. He read her like a book. Sans winked his left eye, giving Undyne a warm welcome, despite her troubled expression. "come on in."

 

"Thanks. I expected you to be a little less lenient with me after..." Undyne slowly pulled the knob of the door behind her carefully, the wind chill slamming the door shut. "You know."

 

"oh. that." Sans briefly remembered what happened in the Throne Room. "is uh, the garden better now? i haven't been there for a while to see for myself."

  
"Yes." Undyne replied tersely.

 

There was an uneasy silence, the room slightly cold from the chilling gale from outside. Sans then spoke up, curious about her unforeseen presence.

 

"papyrus is over by the ruins preparing his puzzles for the time being. just so you know. "

 

Undyne looked at him dumbly. _Come on just say it! He is already onto you! It's not that difficult,_ Undyne scolded herself. "Sans," Undyne walked on over towards the kitchen, spotting the pet rock. She smiled at the thought of Papyrus' tender care for the rock, covered in colorful sprinkles. _Papyrus, you are too good for him,_ she thought about Sans with disapproval. Then, she frowned, as she started.

 

"I think it's time for your brother to have actual warrior training." Sans winced at her words. He calmly moved from his position to save face, pacing pensively in the living room. "Now, I know that Papyrus is an absolutely lovable dork, who I can't even begin to imagine hurting someone. But I need to see if he can fight. Papyrus needs to learn now, rather than later, god forbid that happens."

 

"..." Sans had already stopped his roaming. He vacantly stared at the blank screen of the TV.

 

"Sans, did you hear me at all?"

 

"yes." Sans looked down at his pink, fluffy slippers, tapping his right foot on the hardwood floor.

 

"Look. Papyrus... may be the nicest, most amiable trusting monster in the whole Underground. And I realized recently that it's a weakness he can't afford to have. He is fearless, and would welcome ANYBODY with open arms. He doesn't know about the humans like we do. We get to them before anybody else gets to actually interact with them. We do our jobs, and nobody gets to see what transpired. But what if a human comes through here and tries to get all friendly? And what if they decide to attack out of self-defense?" Sans blinked once, shutting his eyes as he turned away in dismay. "don't remind me."

 

Undyne moved towards Sans, trying to get him to face her. He needed to see how severe the reality of the situation is; that her words were serious and sincere about the matter. "What if it happened to Papyrus? What will happen if he approaches them, expecting nothing less than good in them? What then?"

 

"stop. i don't want to know." Sans retorted, unable to look at her.

 

"Then let's do it! Let's make it so he won't have to go through what you did, being held at knife-point. We need to teach him that holding back his attacks isn't safe in the long-run. That way, he will know what to do when the time comes. We both know all too well it is bound to happen. You don't want to know about the worst case scenario, right? Let's help him so he can help himself when he comes face-to-face with a human!" Undyne finished what she had to say, waiting with bated breath for the older brother's approval. His face said it all; his closed eyes were tightly shut, with a a despondent expression, as his perpetual grin quivered. Sans did not want to hear any of this, yet with a heavy heart, he knew he had to. The room was fit for a funeral house gathering. Finally, he turned to face her.

 

".... ok." Sans agreed with reluctance. _I hope he can forgive me. Wait. No. I know he will. He's so cool_ , Sans thought in adoration at his younger brother's moral standing. _Papyrus, if only I could have the heart you have._

 

"Thank you, Sans."

 

"no undyne. thank you for looking out for my brother. i wanted, and still do, want to decline on this whole warrior training thing. but... he means the world to me. as much as i love his attempts at cooking spaghetti, denying him the chance to fight for himself, for the sake of keeping him free of worry and complacent, will do him more harm than good in the future. i was being selfish and too focused on his happiness. so uh. yeah. sorry about that."

 

"It's all good! I guess I under-estimated you. I didn't think you'd handle this so maturely. Err, no offense, but sleeping at your sentry stations is something that I have known you for before you got the job you have now. And well," Undyne lit up brightly, "I guess it kinda got ingrained in my mind!" Undyne joked, a razor grin spread over her face, contented and satisfied with how the conversation turned out. Sans grinned back cordially, his doubts melting away. "heh. yup."

 

"Well, let's get to work! First, we have to figure out how to we can get him to come to the warrior training. That will be our priority. I have a good idea already. Your brother will take the bait, but err, I have a feeling he will feel betrayed over not getting to cook spaghetti as always."

 

"that's fine. i prank him often anyway. he's used to little bouts of trickery."

 

"You're unbelievable."

 

"unbelievably awesome." Sans wisecracked with a wink. Undyne groaned. "Ugh god, no wonder your brother reacts the way he does whenever you make a terrible joke."

 

"i don't know what you're talking about. my jokes are sansational."

 

"Wow, a bit full of yourself, are you?"

 

"i haven't gotten to eat lunch just yet."

 

Undyne face-palmed in defeat. There was no winning battle of wits against this skeleton. "Okay! At this point, I think I'm just giving you more material to work with."

 

"hey uh, you haven't told me your plan yet," Sans replied, as he plopped himself on the couch, his arms stretched out behind his neck, relaxing as he closed his eyes. "i'm all ears."

 

Undyne stepped towards Papyrus' laid-back brother on the couch, cocking her head as she analyzed the skeleton's facial features. "Sans, you have no ears!"

 

"so how is it that i could hear what you had to say this whole time?"

 

Undyne was perplexed by this question. She looked dumbfounded, unable to find a comeback.

 

"Let's leave it at magic!"

 

"sound like a perfectly logical answer." Sans agreed, at the same time musing at the subject matter. _Huh. I don't know either. That answer is as good any._

 

"Alright! Sans! Are you ready to help Papyrus?"

 

"sure am."

 

The success of their discussion about Papyrus' security filled them with Determination.

 

\--

 

Undyne and Sans told Papyrus that they had a surprise for him over in Waterfall. As part of their plan, they decided to lead Papyrus towards the limits of the humid cavern. If they immediately told Papyrus what their actual intent was, Papyrus would have never tagged along. So far, the skeleton was more than happy to oblige, and followed them. Papyrus eagerly talked about his day, and the new puzzles he has come up with in the case that a human falls. He mentioned how he would befriend them after a series of his great japes. Ironically, Papyrus had no idea that he was alongside child murderers. He was not allowed to know. It would break his spirit to learn that the two people he loved most in the world would go as far as commit such atrocities. Or maybe his spirit would remain as intact as ever; he can't help but see the good in everybody.

 

Papyrus ran straight ahead of Undyne and Sans, paying no mind to the narrow stalagmite path, where one could easily fall. Either Papyrus isn't afraid of heights, or he was too exuberant about the surprise he had in store for him. As soon as he beat them to the obscure location, he giddily ran in circles, waiting for Undyne and Sans to meet him. However, as he began to settle down, Papyrus stopped dead in his tracks, pausing to warily look around his environment. Why a surprise would be near a stupendous, drab mountain startled Papyrus. Then, he came to realize that this sort of surprise was not a present of any sort. Papyrus was no longer looking forward to the surprise. He wanted to go home.

 

"... UNDYNE. SANS... WHERE'S THE SURPRISE? IS IT..." Papyrus' vibrant expression fell.

 

"IS IT NOT AN ACTUAL GIFT-WRAPPED PRESENT?"

 

"heh. no papyrus. in fact, we never even told you what it was. you have quite an active imagination though. maybe after this surprise we can give you an actual gift-wrapped present." Papyrus gasped, his eyes shining brighter than ever. "WOWIE! I CAN'T WAIT! WELL, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? SHOW ME THE SURPRISE ALREADY!"

 

Sans looked at Undyne, as she nodded back at him. "alright papyrus, ready?"

 

"READY AS I'LL EVER BE!"

 

"heh ok, close your eyes. and no peeking. take my hand."

 

"I DON'T SEE WHAT'S THE POINT IN THAT, BUT OKAY!!" Papyrus was absolutely trusting. This pained his older brother. He couldn't help but feel disappointed with himself. Sans held his hand, leading him towards the entrance of the ominous crag. Undyne was quick to set up for the dire occasion.

 

"ok papyrus... open your eyes."

 

"OHHH, THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR..." Papyrus saw Undyne with her Royal Guard equipment on. She stood on top of the crag, with a doleful look on her face. "... SANS, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY IS UNDYNE DRESSED FOR WORK...?"

 

"i'm sorry papyrus. see, the surprise is..." Sans couldn't bring himself to say it. Undyne felt for him, deciding to follow through with the plan.

 

"Papyrus... you will be fighting me today. There are no if's or but's about it. So, LET'S GO PAPYRUS! GIVE IT EVERYTHIN YOU GOT!" Undyne yelled, already charging at him with her azure spear on hand, clad in shining steel. Papyrus' lively attitude changed, horrified by this sudden development. Despite being in a state of panic, he refused to defend himself. He quickly raised his trembling hands, indicating for Undyne to stop.

 

"BUT I DON'T WANT TO!" Undyne veered her aim away from Papyrus at the last second, landing clumsily on the ground. _I thought this would WORK!_ This was what she was afraid of. Sans interfered to try to talk sense into his terrified brother.

 

"papyrus, please fight undyne."

 

"ACCEPTING TO BATTLE MY BEST FRIEND? MY MENTOR? HMPH! I CAN'T FORCE MYSELF TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS COMPLETELY AGAINST MY MORAL STANDING." Papyrus then set his right hand to his chest, resolved to reach an understanding with the two, and uphold his principles. "I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS! HURTING OTHERS IS WRONG. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT I CAN TEACH ANY ADVERSARY THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS! THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO DIFFUSE A SITUATION RATHER THAN TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE, EVEN IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE SO, SANS." Papyrus stared at his older brother in disbelief. _Welp, that hurt more than it should have,_ Sans reflected, but didn't dare give up on the plan.

 

"which is what makes you so cool. the world would be a much less cool place if we were to lose you. please. do it once. battle undyne. give it all you got. just..." In desperation, Sans would say anything to get his strong-willed brother to agree. "if you try just once, i promise you... that i will never force you to do something that is against your standards. papyrus, this is my ultimate promise. no matter what, i will abide by it, even if i disagree with you."

 

"SANS... DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT, BROTHER?"

 

"absolutely. one-hundred percent mean it. i promise." _Please accept. I already have said more than I should have_ , Sans anticipated anxiously.

 

"... FINE. BUT I WON'T LIKE DOING THIS."

 

"i'm sorry papyrus, but i understa-"

 

"NO SANS. YOU DON'T." Papyrus cut him short of his attempt to empathize with him. He would have none of it, yet it didn't sit right with him to completely dismiss his efforts. Papyrus looked down at the ground, turning to face his brother again. "I HAVE TO ADMIT, I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL DISTURBED BY HOW DETERMINED YOU BOTH ARE TO MAKE ME FIGHT." Papyrus approached his downcast brother, feeling the need to lift his spirits. Instinctively, he continued on to do what he always does best.

 

"BUT FEAR NOT, SANS, FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NOT PETTY. I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO FORGIVE YOU AND UNDYNE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMPASSION AND GENUINE CONCERN YOU ALL HAVE FOR ME. FOR THAT, I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL!"

 

Sans' SOUL shook, pained from the shock from such kind words. If kindness could kill, Sans would have fallen down long ago. _What compassion?_ His SOUL was overcome with remorse, yet Sans fought to detach himself from his guilt. _He is going about this too graciously. Why did we agree to this again, Undyne?_ Sans felt like a disgrace of an older brother, like he had committed the greatest sin of his life, for trying to force his merciful brother into combat.

 

"BROTHER, JUST FOR YOU, I WILL DO THIS. FOR SHOWING ME YOU CARE DEEPLY FOR ME. YOU MEAN A LOT TO ME, AND TO HEAR YOU TELLING ME SOMETHING MEANINGFUL MEANS A LOT. YOU BETTER NOT MAKE A JOKE OUT OF THIS PREDICAMENT YOU HAVE PUT ME IN!"

 

"heh. don't worry bro. this time, i won't. i'm already taking this very seriously."

 

"SO I SEE YOU ARE! WELL THEN. UNDYNE? ARE YOU READY?"

 

Undyne grinned avidly, itching for a fight. "Papyrus, I was BORN ready!"

 


	2. Love and LOVE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "POPULAR! POWERFUL! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS!" - Papyrus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus deserves it all. Except.

The wind was howling. A bevy of gales flowed down the sierra, as they whistled through the wide fissure of the alp. After Undyne's dramatic swoop from the summit, Papyrus had his guard up, bracing himself for the imminent storm, as he stared apprehensively at Undyne. The docile skeleton did not want to initiate the fight. At the same time, Papyrus didn't want to get a scratch so early on, worried that it would debase his prestige. With the recent discovery of his older brother's battle prowess, knowing that Sans fought like a fiend was more discouraging than intimidating to the younger brother; Papyrus always put his heart into everything he does, while Sans had no interest in excelling at anything. Yet, Papyrus knew deep inside that he, too, had about the same latent power within - a chance that his hidden abilities were not nightmare-inducing. Papyrus wouldn't know for sure unless he tried. Antsy from the prolonged stare-down, Undyne brandished her svelte spear, showing off a variety of swings, just because she could. _Come on, you dork, engage already!_ She was hellbent on getting Papyrus to go beyond defending himself, neglecting to consider Papyrus' undying clemency. Fatal as it may be, Undyne had unrealistically high expectations for Papyrus. She was a loose cannon, getting too ahead of herself.

 

She was in it for the thrill. And Sans stood by, letting it happen.

 

"Alright punk! Ready or not, HERE I COME!" Undyne let out a battle cry, summoning a round of spears. They spun forward erratically, aimed at Papyrus. Without any other choice, Papyrus evoked bones to protect himself from the keen projectiles. The bones collided with each spear, eliminating the danger. For now. Papyrus was officially in the fray.

 

Undyne bounced back, awaiting his turn. Papyrus was badly shaken already, as he breathed unevenly from his last second attempt to fend for himself. Papyrus finally understood the duel. He was horrified beyond relief, coming to the realization that Undyne was not going to take it easy on Papyrus. Undyne prepped herself for her next move. Sweat beads were accumulating on Papyrus' long face, his mind in great disarray.

 

UGH! I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T HURT HER! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE. I WANT TO GO HOME SO BAD. I WANT TO GO BACK TO MAKING SPAGHETTI. I WANT TO GO BACK TO MY NORMAL LIFE! WHY COULDN'T THINGS JUST STAY THE SAME!?

 

Completely and utterly lost in his own despair, Papyrus stumbled on some rocks from a dizzying headache. As he struggled to get a hold of himself, Papyrus spotted his older brother. Sans was waving at him from a distance, grinning as always. IS HE... CHEERING ME ON? Right then and there, Papyrus' negativity and hopelessness came to a halt.

 

WAIT A MOMENT. THINGS CAN'T STAY THE SAME! I CAN'T KEEP MAKING SPAGHETTI FOR ALL OF MY WARRIOR TRAINING. I NEED TO BE BRAVE! I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO TAKE BIGGER AND GREATER RISKS! I NEED TO DO THIS. THERE IS NO BACKING OUT. I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF WHY I'M GOING THROUGH WITH THIS BATTLE! I AM DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER. I AM DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER. I AM DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER, Papyrus looped through his head. Then, a burning sensation in his SOUL erupted, more zealous and valiant than ever before. Papyrus gritted his teeth, leering at Undyne, pride coursing through his body. He summoned a myriad of bones, charging and locked onto his foe's proximity. Papyrus then gaudily proclaimed in a forthcoming, profound voice.

 

"I AM DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER!" Papyrus brazenly unleashed his attacks, rapidly flying towards an unsuspecting Undyne. She gnashed her fangs, grunting in frustration. Undyne bolted aptly, a thunderbolt in the battlefield. She huffed vigorously, her evasion of Papyrus' attacks mildly successful. Papyrus managed to land several hits, the thrashing of the blunt bones heavily marring Undyne's stalwart armor. An enraged cry rung out all through the eminence. Despite her physical distress, Undyne taunted Papyrus.

 

"UGH! You may have had your share of successful hits, but THESE WILL BE THE LAST ONES TO HIT ME! THIS IS CHILD'S PLAY! Try using your bones once I rend you HELPLESS!"

 

"OH REALLY? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT!?"

 

"Like THIS!"

 

Undyne held out her spear, emitting a magical energy. She took one swing to her left, instantly turning Papyrus' SOUL green.

 

"You want to be able to defend yourself against a human, RIGHT? Show me how well you can defend yourself with THIS!" Undyne threw a spear, expecting Papyrus to catch it. He barely managed to do so, grasping it with trembling hands. "Use the spear I give you, and HOPE that you don't get stabbed by my AWESOME spears! FUHUHU!" Papyrus was not anticipating this move. Frozen in place, he took a deep, shaky breath, gathering himself and concentrating the best he could. The doughty Undyne was all set to strike. She evoked a rush of spears from all sides, gradually approaching the spellbound Papyrus.

 

WHAT!? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS THING!? I'VE NEVER TOUCHED A SPEAR IN MY LIFE! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!? Unsure of how to handle the pointed weapon, he clumsily maneuvered the spear to fend off the sharp strikes from his left. And his right. And his front. And his back. Papyrus was all over the place, completely disorganized. Papyrus was consistently slashed, his injuries worsening his already mediocre handle of his only aegis. He wanted to scream so bad, but refused to show weakness, enduring the thick cuts on his bones. Be that as it may, the widened look in his eyes was evident of the actual pain he was in.

 

With Undyne's turn at an end, Papyrus dropped to the ground, straining the spear tighter. The friction on his bones stung his hard palms, as if the spear was made of hundreds of pins and needles. Papyrus forced himself up to start his turn. Trapped and tormented by the festering lesions, Papyrus could only manage to fling some weak regular bones at Undyne, his aim unsteady. All his attacks missed. Undyne barely had to veer out of the way. The odds were not in his favor.

 

"Wow, Papyrus, way to waste a turn! FUHUHU! MY TURN!" Undyne began preparing an attack, buying Papyrus time to regain his strength. He was not prepared for this kind of treatment. Papyrus already braced himself for the worst. Sans couldn't stand seeing his brother like this. He couldn't jump in and fight Undyne; it would defeat the entire purpose of the duel. However, there was no rule against giving advice throughout the battle. Sans had an idea.

 

"heya papyrus! err," _Oh right. No jokes._ Sans didn't think this thoroughly. _Great. Now what?_

 

"nevermind."

 

Papyrus groaned from his afflictions. Realizing that Sans yelled out his name from the sidelines, he listened intently, only to be met with disappointment. The role that Sans played as the annoying sibling came into play. Papyrus was frustrated at the lack of content in his words. He had no time for this. Yet, Papyrus took the bait. He was perfect for Sans' japes.

 

"OH COME ON! YOU ARE ABOUT TO TELL ME SOMETHING WHILE I'M HERE TAKING HIT AFTER HIT, AND YOU SAY, 'NEVERMIND'? SPIT IT OUT! WAIT A SECOND..."

 

Papyrus's eye sockets narrowed, giving Sans a displeased, annoyed look. The unnerved, happy grin on his face peeved Papyrus to no end.

 

"WERE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO MAKE JOKES!? ARE YOU SERIOUS SANS? YOU PROMISED!" All the suffering that Papyrus was going through seemed to ease off. His focus turned onto questioning his brother's sly motives. Undyne, perplexed by the brothers' mundane bickering in the midst of a crucial battle, rolled her eyes, distracted enough to delay her attack. "HEY NERDS! What in the hell are you guys doing!? Sans, LAY OFF YOUR BROTHER! Papyrus, you are supposed to fight ME! Not fight with your brother!" They ignored her, as Sans fended for himself.

 

"woah there. first off, i NEVER promised such a thing. i said i wouldn't. second," Sans took his hands out of his pockets. He raised his arms, giving a big shrug. "i didn't say anything."

 

"HEY! Are you boneheads even listening to me!?" Undyne barked out, becoming infuriated from being excluded from the conversation to nowhere. "Whatever! I'm starting MY turn, whether you like it or NOT!" Undyne was prompt. Taking advantage of the gusts of wind coming from the jagged peaks, she conjured a tempest of spears, unlike anybody has ever seen before. "I will MAKE you pay attention to me! NGAH!" She released the wild windstorm of her razor-sharp, magic spears, enclosing on the inattentive Papyrus.

 

The aggravated Papyrus lost all interest in Undyne, unable to give a single care for the match. Now it was about getting Sans to be straight with him - which Sans rarely ever does. Somehow, Papyrus' nagging has improved his senses. The assailing onslaught, despite its striking power, was being taken apart by Papyrus' vigorous magic. Undyne was flabbergasted, her right eye twitching from the absurdity of the situation. Without realizing it, Papyrus conjured a skeletal maw similar to Sans' blasters. In less than second, it charged a fluorescent aura emitting from within the back of their jaws. It resplendently burst out violently a screeching, scorching blast, causing the earth below Undyne's feet to quake. Its radius was more than enough to clear Papyrus of all threats. The spears were rendered nothing but a dazzling shimmer in the saturated, humid air. The nagging skeleton brother became intrepid, his hidden potential become apparent. Sans held Papyrus in higher regard as of this fateful day.

 

"BUT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT! I SAW IT! I KNOW THAT EXPRESSION!"

 

Sans was trying so hard not to laugh. Not a single giggle. The struggle was real.

 

"that's nonsense papyrus. why would i tell a joke at a time like this?" Papyrus was at his wits' end.

 

"BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SANS! HOW DARE YOU HAVE THE GALL TO WANT TO TELL A JOKE!"

 

"i don't want to tell jokes right now papyrus. please spear me from y-"

 

The younger brother's upset expression broke Sans. It was too much for him to handle.

 

"whoops. heh."

 

"OHHHHH WHY YOU!"

 

"ENOUGH!" Undyne fearlessly sprinted towards Papyrus. Utilizing her spear, she vaulted herself into the air. As she gained aerial momentum, she aimed her honed weapon at Papyrus, ready to stab him from behind. Suddenly, a compressing magic restrained Undyne in mid-air. Her SOUL turned blue.

 

"Wha-" Undyne froze, shocked by the familiar force. _Is this Sans' doing? He wasn't supposed to interfere!_ She set her sight towards the skeleton brothers. Undyne was wrong; it wasn't Sans.

  
It was Papyrus. The once gentle skeleton was absolutely fixated on Undyne, his face cast in a calculated mien. Undyne felt like she was going to have a bad time. _Maybe it won't be as one-sided as that one time with Sans. Wait a moment, what's this defeatist talk!? I WILL WIN THIS FIGHT!_

 

Undyne howled in mad laughter, her movement restricted by the skeleton's magical encumbrance. She hectically eyed Papyrus, getting his attention as she verbally retaliated. "So! I see you are perfectly capable to defend yourself! In that case, Papyrus, I see NO point in treating YOU any different from your brother!" Undyne didn't put care into her words. Sans pretended to not mind what she said.

 

Papyrus, taken aback by the outburst, attempted to speculate the meaning behind her words. "WAIT. UNDYNE? WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

 

"It means that YOU ARE DONE! You hear me!? DONE!" Undyne yelled out, swiping her spear to her left. Papyrus' SOUL turned green, rendering him immobile once again. His only means of defense magically appeared in his hands, this time gratified with the circumstances. Undyne's horde of magical spears targeted him, with no intent to miss. As the rush of the sharp-edged projectiles closed in on Papyrus, he harmonized himself with the spear. At last, he wielded his safeguard with confidence. With each deterred strike, Papyrus became more nimble, earning a dexterity unbeknownst to him. One could say his aptitude rivaled his older brother's combat finesse. Even the flux of golden spears that charged at the stationary skeleton stood no chance against his novel, yet excellent, techniques. His personality truly complimented his fighting style.

 

Papyrus' SOUL broke free from the entrapment, and scrambled to counter. The audacious skeleton surged at the fallow Undyne, still at an impasse from Papyrus' enchantment. His unwavering perseverance had paid off at last. Papyrus attained a new motivation, somewhat contrary to his altruism. His goal was now to show his lackadaisical brother what it's like to fight with passion. Making sure that Sans was watching, Papyrus was avid to wreck havoc, in a way he only knew how. He excruciated Undyne with mercurial jabs, each blow more taxing than the next. Agony escaped from Undyne's breath, her harsh scream ringing throughout the passages of Waterfall - the acute weapon's raw cutting damage was more incisive than previously thought. Papyrus granted her no weapon, or movement, to overcome his attacks. Her only option was to take it. Any slight chance that Undyne had to speak up - let alone breathe through the pain - was taken away by the consecutive strikes.

 

The magnitude of the skeleton's capabilities was driving Undyne mad. She so badly wanted to reciprocate, and took each second in duress as motivation to exact retribution on Papyrus. Her armor was permanently scarred; it would take a master blacksmith to mend it back to normal. The steel lost its everlasting sheen, the uneven rents from Papyrus' piercing attacks making the splendid chest plate look like worn-out aluminum foil. Undyne's life force was endangered from each malady, from deep puncture wounds, to stinging lacerations. In between her shallow breaths, more tenuous from each hit endured, Undyne finally succeeded in articulating herself.

 

"F-for a... skeleton," she gasped from the throbbing of her physical trauma, "you s-sure have a LOT of g-... guts! I couldn't... be any more p-proud of you!"

 

Papyrus, ecstatic at the sign of approval from his mentor, flashed his eyes with glee, as he held his hands to the center of his chest. He deeply felt the validity in her commendation, adoring her every word. Despite everything, he was still him.

 

"REALLY!? OH UNDYNE, THAT'S... THAT'S SO TOUCHING! I... I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK THAT I... I..."

 

Papyrus lightly sniveled, tears gathering at the corners of his hollow eye sockets, as more rolled down his boney cheeks. This love he felt for Undyne's words knew no bounds. No matter what happened between them, he trusted her unconditionally, the same way he trusted Sans - and literally everybody else. Just like the bleeding heart he is. However, Papyrus did not let his awareness of the situation go. "BUT!" The emotional brother tried to cast aside his natural temperament, yet was unable to stop the waterworks. "I AM NOT GOING TO LET THIS BE MY MOMENT OF WEAKNESS! OH NO, I WILL NOT LET MY GUARD DOWN! WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO!"

 

"Or do we?" Undyne sneered, as she snuck up behind him.

 

Papyrus, in his moment of weepy sentimentality, lost control of Undyne's SOUL. Undyne was too overwrought from the melee, captivated with the thought of victory in sight. She was too far gone, shameless in her deceit. Undyne took advantage, brutally cleaving her fine, cuspidated armament through his skeletal frame. Time slowed down for Papyrus, his eyes broadened, as he fell upon Undyne's shoulder, smitten. Mangled from Papyrus' relentless hacking and slashing, she was hanging on for dear life. Undyne's headstrong, undying character saw her through, refusing to succumb to her fatal injuries. Her unnerved determination began healing her SOUL, progressively soothing her debilitation - or so she thought at the time being. As for the silent Papyrus, that was a different story entirely. In a new development, something didn't feel right for Undyne. Her SOUL felt, in a way, lighter, more invigorated than her usual self. A new level of vitality. This was not just the work of a little understood phenomenon.

 

Undyne's LOVE increased.

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"Sans, I-"

 

Without another word, Sans killed her where she stood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever this is, it's a timeline lost amongst many. Perhaps it's better this way.


	3. Best Bros Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate ending to the chaotic battle of Papyrus versus Undyne.
> 
> What if Papyrus doesn't die?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Papyrus capable of killing?

"REALLY!? OH UNDYNE, THAT'S... THAT'S SO TOUCHING! I... I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK THAT I... I..."

 

Papyrus lightly sniveled, tears gathering at the corners of his hollow eye sockets, as more rolled down his boney cheeks. This love he felt for Undyne's words knew no bounds. No matter what happened between them, he trusted her unconditionally, the same way he trusted Sans - and literally everybody else. Just like the bleeding heart he is. However, Papyrus did not let his awareness of the situation go. "BUT!" The emotional brother tried to cast aside his natural temperament, yet was unable to stop the waterworks. "I AM NOT GOING TO LET THIS BE MY MOMENT OF WEAKNESS! OH NO, I WILL NOT LET MY GUARD DOWN! WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO!"

 

"Or do we?" Undyne sneered, as she snuck up behind him.

 

Papyrus, in his moment of weepy sentimentality, lost control of Undyne's SOUL. Undyne was too overwrought from the melee, captivated with the thought of victory in sight. She was too far gone, shameless in her deceit. Just as Undyne was about to deal the final blow, her spear a pinpoint away from Papyrus' chest, time slowed down to a stop. A shocked Papyrus managed to get a good look into her bloodthirsty eyes. Time was static in this plane, with Sans in the background, his pupils dilated as he witnessed Undyne's betrayal from a fair distance. Realizing that she froze in place, a confounded expression appeared on Sans' face. He warily moved one foot forward. Sans was needless to say, rather satisfied with this turn of events.

 

"bro... what did ya do."

 

"I-I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! UNDYNE WAS JUST ABOUT TO STAB ME WITH THAT SPEAR, AND THEN THIS HAPPENED! WHY DID SHE STOP!?"

 

"heh. you stopped time."

 

"I DID NOT! YOU DID!"

 

"i absolutely did not. i am not to interfere with this battle, even if..." Sans fell silent, closing his eyes solemnly. "even if the battle took a turn for the worst. however... i feel like i would not have followed through if you were to..."

 

"BROTHER! HOW DARE YOU TALK LIKE THAT! HAVING SO LITTLE FAITH IN ME." Papyrus hollered angrily at Sans, as he stomped forward.

 

"papyrus, it's not like that."

 

Papyrus stopped his march. "YES. YES IT IS." He walked at a steady pace, looking at Sans with a crestfallen face. Papyrus sped up, and sprinted towards his older brother. As the distance within the brothers came to a close, Papyrus extended his arms, instantaneously grabbing Sans. He had Sans locked into the warmest - and excessively strong - loving, brotherly embrace.

 

"SANS."

 

"..."

 

"I AM NOT GOING TO DIE."

 

Sans hugged back, his head slumped on his younger brother's left shoulder. His eyes were shut, feeling revitalized by Papyrus' comfort. "papyrus... i-"

 

"DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD BROTHER! I AM NOT GOING TO DIE, YOU HEAR ME? AFTERALL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT TO BE BESTED SO EASILY! A BETRAYAL KILL? HA! A TRUE LOW FOR SOMEONE AS DIGNIFIED AS THE HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD. IT DISGUSTS ME."

 

"i did not see that coming. i thought she was better than that." Sans hugged Papyrus tighter.

 

"SANS, VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER!"

 

"she was going to kill you!"

 

"HAD I DIED, WOULD KILLING HER BRING ME BACK?"  
  


"..."

 

"ANSWER ME SANS."

 

"no."

 

"THEN THAT'S THE END OF IT."

 

"no it's not. you're absolutely right, papyrus. it would not have brought you back. but she would deserve to burn in hell for her actions." Sans flatly stated. "killing someone like you is beyond wrong."

 

"AND KILLING THEM RIGHT BACK IS JUST AS WRONG." Papyrus retorted. "REVENGE IS WRONG."

 

"oh really?" Sans inquired, slightly raising his voice. "what if a human comes down here, and starts killing your friends? what if they kill me? would revenge still be wrong?"

 

"IF... THEY KILLED YOU...?" Papyrus asked softly, rattled by mere idea of his brother's death.

 

"yes."

 

"IF THEY KILLED YOU, WELL... I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE THOUGHT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND TO BEGIN WITH. BECAUSE... I BELIEVE IN YOU! I ALWAYS HAVE! EVEN BEFORE OUR LITTLE SCUFFLE! AND AFTER WHAT HAPPENED, ALL I CAN SAY IS, YOU'RE NOT EXACTLY THE EASIEST MONSTER TO FIGHT, SANS. NOT EVEN YOUR LAZINESS STOPS ME FROM BELIEVING IN YOUR ABILITIES TO DEFEND YOURSELF!"

 

Sans grinned genially, touched by the compliment. "i may not be, but papyrus. it takes one hit. one. hit," he reminded Papyrus.

 

The younger brother sighed. "IF YOU TRIED HARD ENOUGH, YOU COULD DEFEND YOURSELF BEYOND JUST DODGING ATTACKS ALL THE TIME, SANS. THAT'S ON YOU. YOUR LAZINESS CONCERNS ME GREATLY IN GENERAL!"

 

"it shouldn't. i can't be bothered to train the same way you do, bro. i just don't have it in me. not like you do. and that's why i think you're a star. the coolest dude around. don't worry bout me. say, you know what you can do for me? ya can keep getting better and better. you can..."

 

Sans turned his attention off into the distance at the inert Undyne.

 

"you can go back to fighting undyne. she is for babybones. papyrus, you are stronger than me. in more ways than you realize. it's time that you fight back. talking about time..." Sans smiled slily, winking his left eye. "i think it's about time you get it right back on track."

 

Papyrus groaned at his brother's lazy jape. He then looked confused, grabbing Sans out of the embrace.

 

"BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I DID IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

 

"bro, please. it's easy." Sans shrugged, still held in his brother's extended arms. "just focus. look. i can do it, right? who says you can't?" Sans winked his left eye. "we are brothers. remember?"

 

"EVEN IF I KNEW HOW, WHY DID IT HAPPEN?"

 

"dunno pap. you probably instinctively did it, because you were uh, about to get dunked on." Sans' eye sockets turned pitch-black. "hard. but," his pupils came back. "thankfully, that didn't happen."

 

"AND IT WILL NOT HAPPEN, EVER!" Papyrus shouted boldly. "SO! DO I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, THINK ABOUT STARTING TIME AGAIN?"

 

"sure. do it however you like. the fact is, you can do it. how and why exactly? beats me."

 

"SANS, YOU ARE DOING IT AGAIN!"

 

"doing what?"

 

"CLEARLY YOU'RE INSINUATING THAT YOU DO KNOW! I'M NOT STUPID, SANS."

 

"ok, i do know. the answer is: science."

 

Papyrus fell silent, thinking over his brother's explanation. After a couple of minutes, he eagerly raised his hand in the air. "I'LL ALLOW IT!"

 

Suddenly, time started back up again. Undyne's spear cleaved the air. She fell face-flat onto the cavern floor, utterly baffled by Papyrus' disappearance. Undyne wildly flailed, yelling unevenly in anger. She bounced right back up, looking everywhere. There he was in the distance, Papyrus holding onto Sans like a toy. Enraged, Undyne cried out with abandon. "THAT'S IT! YOU CHEATER! I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER GREATLY FOR THIS! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FAIR! ARGH!" Just as she was going to conjure a grand blitz of spears, Papyrus stopped time again, this time on purpose.

 

"SANS, WHY IS SHE ACTING SO SCARY?"

 

"because you 'cheated'. you tell me i cheat all the time. stopping time is not something that everybody can do, pap. i can understand part of her sentiment. the murderous rampage part? not so much."

 

"SO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HER AT ALL."

 

"yup. i'll tell you this much. she has a very determined look in her eyes. how about you take a jab at her?" Sans winked his right eye.

 

"I DIDN'T WANT TO HURT HER, BUT. I MUST FIGHT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL PACIFY HER!"

 

"that's what I like to hear, papyrus. go for it."

 

Papyrus conjured a gathering of bones, blunt as can be. He summoned the familiar blaster, and made his move. "I WILL BEST UNDYNE! HERE IT IS! MY REGULAR ATTACK!" Papyrus released the barrage of bones, making time start again. Undyne's eyes widened at the spectacle, as she was hit with bone after bone, buffeted onto the ground. She was rendered helpless with the unrelenting force of each individual projectile. Undyne was in anguish, her anger dissipated into that of fright. "PAPYRUS! Papyrus! That's enough! Spare me before you end up having me KI- AUGH!" Undyne was slammed by the adamantine bones on her chest, some bigger in size than the rest. Knocked back again and again, Undyne was unable to fight back. Worn out and her armor completely in shambles from the severe attacks, she held on to dear life. There was no besting her if such a elaborate, calculated act of aggression hadn't killed her yet. Papyrus should have stopped his onslaught a while ago. Yet, he was preparing something else in the midst of the unyielding engagement.

 

_THIS IS FOR MY BROTHER!_ Papyrus recognized his older brother, returning to his true intentions.

 

_His blaster...!_ Undyne inferred. There was no doubt in her mind as of what she was in for.

 

"AND NOW UNDYNE, AFTER MY MAGNIFICENT SHOWCASE OF MY OFFENSIVE CAPABILITIES, I RELEASE MY SPECIAL ATTACK! AND YOU WILL STAND THERE AND TAKE IT!" With those words, his one blaster targeted Undyne with a fixed, menacing glare. Suddenly, a couple more maws appeared to join the other. They starting circling around Undyne, and let out resplendent blasts of light, repeatedly. They revolved faster and faster, creating the illusion of the presence of more than a dozen osseous weapons of unrelenting fury. The smoldering, strident blasts shook the earth below their feet, as they wrecked havoc. It was chaos; a sight to behold. Sans watched keenly with lucent pupils, taking a guiltless and fulfilled sense of macabre bliss in the subjugation of Undyne.

 

"you are so cool, bro." Sans whispered in wonderment.

 

With that, Papyrus proved his marvelous competence and exceptional cunning, and gave Undyne the greatest display of combat finesse yet.

 

And despite it all, Papyrus was still him. He refused to deal the fatal hit. He refused to kill. After the deadly wheel of wrath, he extended his arm to her, as she lay dying on the ground. Papyrus held her, readying himself to take a shortcut with Sans to Alphys' lab. Papyrus ultimately was resolved; he will only attack in self-defense.

 

Sans held his brother in higher esteem that very day. The promise stands true, and will not force his younger brother to fight, to respect his will.

 

It's the least he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He'll always be him. Papyrus' sheer strength will always be on Undyne's mind. He may not be able to join the Royal Guard, but his talent is evident. If only he could capture a human. If only...

**Author's Note:**

> And always will be.


End file.
